Presidents Lecture Series

The psychological effect of war on troops is well documented, but journalists also find themselves on the frontlines, with the possibility of death or injury nearby.

Humber College’s Lakeshore campus will be host to psychiatrist Dr. Arthur Feinstein on Nov. 3, part of Humber’s on-going President’s Lecture Series, and the focus is the psychological effects of war on journalists.

Feinstein, a psychiatrist at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and a professor at the University of Toronto, is the author of multiple books but may be most widely known for the 2012 documentary, Under Fire.

The documentary, which won the 2012 Peabody award, was based on his research of journalists in war zones.

Feinstein worked alongside the Globe and Mail on a series called Conflict Photographers, a series highlighting the psychological effects on 12 conflict photojournalists over the course of a year.

“If we are so strongly affected by the image, something that we perceive secondhand, what might the photographer experience?” Feinstein wrote in the series.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 71 per cent of 34 confirmed journalist deaths this year occurred while covering war zones. Syria was named the deadliest country for journalists so far in 2016.

This lecture should be of particular interest to students and professors of journalism, photography or psychology.

“It would be particularly wise for aspiring journalists to attend the event so that they gain insight into the psychological difficulties faced by some in their field,” said Ian Gerrie, a general arts and science professor at Humber College.

The lecture will provide data showing how war can effect even the healthiest journalists, both physically and mentally. It’s intended to serve as a learning tool for anyone dealing directly with the effects of war or anyone who wishes to further educate themselves on the topic.